While Canada Slept

The Globe and Mail ^ | April 3, 2003 | John Ibbitson

[quidnunc]

Andrew Cohen believes Canada has sleepwalked its way to global irrelevance, squandering a proud tradition and turning us into a nation of hypocrites. Most Canadians probably agree with him. The question is whether they care.

Mr. Cohen is the author of While Canada Slept: How We Lost Our Place in the World, a new analysis of the decline of Canada's foreign policy and its military. Like almost all single-issue rants, it lacks perspective, failing to acknowledge that there were good reasons for the federal government to neglect its diplomatic, military and foreign-aid obligations.

But, nonetheless, those obligations have been neglected, and Canadians need to ask themselves whether the time has come to repair the damage.

Mr. Cohen, a former Washington correspondent for The Globe and Mail who teaches journalism and international affairs at Carleton University, reminds us of the days following the Second World War, when Canada punched far above its weight in international affairs.

We helped craft the institutions that shaped the postwar world order; we played key roles in defusing international crises; we were present at the creation of the foreign-aid system; our military machine was impressive and other countries considered our foreign service the best in the world.

Maybe it started with John Diefenbaker. Certainly, Pierre Trudeau was a major culprit, and Brian Mulroney probably did more harm than good. Under Jean Chrétien, we have reached a nadir: Diplomats picket the Foreign Affairs Department, we give less in foreign aid than almost any other developed nation, and our military is either a disgrace or a joke, depending on your mood.

Mr. Cohen wants a comprehensive national review of foreign policy and defence, followed by massive increases in defence (ideally from $12-billion to $20-billion) and foreign-aid spending (optimally from 0.25 per cent of GDP to 0.7 per cent) accompanied by an aggressive foreign policy that, while retaining close ties with the United States, expands our involvement and influence with other nations and institutions (the New Third Way). He also wishes students would learn more history.

All highly desirable, but Mr. Cohen is reluctant to confront an elemental truth: Canada made a series of choices in the 1980s and '90s that made our diminished international stature inevitable.

First, we decided in 1988 to sign a free-trade agreement with the United Strates. The economic benefits have been substantial, but it has made it more difficult for Canada to chart a separate course in international trade, defence or foreign policy. Simply put, if we get too far from the Americans, we get punished.

Second, all Canadian governments decided in the '90s that they were reaching intolerable levels of deficit and debt. Retrenchment was painful; everyone suffered. Opening an embassy in Lithuania while waiting lists for cancer treatment lengthened at home would have been not only wrong, but immoral.

With our fiscal problems solved, federal and provincial governments have concentrated on repairing the health-care and education systems. Improving the environment is also a priority.

-snip-

[quidnunc]

Quote:

So yes, Mr. Cohen's call for a national review and debate over Canada's role in the world is timely. But that review must not take place in a vacuum. If we are going to spend more money on defence, then we must spend it on defence instead of on something else. If the federal government is going to greatly increase its commitment to foreign aid, then it must also declare its determination to reduce subsidies for agriculture or culture. Or if we are to fund these increases out of surpluses, we must acknowledge that the money is not going to health care or education.

So evidently Canada can either be a nanny state or a player on the international scene, but not both.

I'm betting that Canadians will opt to maintain the status quo, keeping and even expanding their social programs while continuing to congratulate themselves on being the indespensible nation and the nexus for all that is right and proper in the world.

[longtermmemmory]

time for provinces to join the states

http://www.unitednorthamerica.org

Canada did not even have its own embasies until the 80's. It used englands as a member of the commonwealth. Even their passports advise citizens they can go to an elglish embassy. Canada has never been a viable independent gov. put a fork in them, they are done.

[Tacis]

Well, the Prime Minister and his son-in-law are doing very well, thank you. In fact, the only thing they worru about is whether Saddam will turn up alive and demand some of his cash back.

[GulliverSwift]

Mr. Cohen wants a comprehensive national review of foreign policy and defence, followed by massive increases in defence (ideally from $12-billion to $20-billion) and foreign-aid spending (optimally from 0.25 per cent of GDP to 0.7 per cent) accompanied by an aggressive foreign policy that, .

Wow, 20 billion dollars. Isn't that Indiana's state budget? Of course, if it's Canadian monopoly money, it's even more of a joke.

[desertcry]

The canadians have not learned the lessons of the soviet union: socialism/communism does not work. I predict a mass migration of proud Canadians to the south of their boder. Only middle easterners, and chinese will be left as canucks
in ten years time.

[SkyPilot]

Don't worry Canada--we elected a jerk too (Clinton). But, we got rid of him and hired a real leader. You just have to convince the liberals, the unionists, the pagan envrionmentalists, the left-handed-lesbian-aboriginals, and the "gimme class" that your nation is better off when it acts like an adult.

[blanknoone]

No way...the US would gladly accept the Western Provinces, and maybe some of the eastern, but there is NO WAY we will put up with that Quebec crap! Hop off, frog wannabees!

[xJones]

The strains in Canada-U.S. relations that emerged over the Iraq war have all Canadians talking to each other about how close we have got to the United States, and what alternatives there might be.

Sounds like at least the author would like other "alternatives" to close ties with the U.S.

[surely_you_jest]

Sounds like at least the author would like other "alternatives" to close ties with the U.S.

Yes, and people in hell would like to have ice water.

[longtermmemmory]

france owns those two islands just east of canada's coast. It could be they want canada to join the eu to screw with the USA. The problem is that much of canada's military defense is already intigrated with teh US.

[xJones]

In addition to the military issue, there's the trade issue. Your interesting link in #2 shows that "US is Canada's largest trading partner. Canada is US's largest trading partner."

[Billthedrill]

In part at least, the international institutions that an entire generation of professional politicians and social reformers placed an inordinate amount of faith and hope, have failed. Part of the drive to make them succeed involved a voluntary ceding of authority to their leaders (the UN, the EU, various international environmental organizations, et al), which has resulted in a sense of entitlement on the part of those leaders that is not a function of value delivered, a sense of moral superiority on their part that is not a function of any particular superiority in virtue, and a profound corruption that is a function of possession of funds and authority without accountability.

It turned out to be a predictably bad bet. Time, I think, to cut losses and stop pouring political and actual capital into the hole. It isn't only Canadian political leaders that need to consider this seriously, it's France, Germany, and a host of others as well.

[MD_Willington_1976]

These numbers are good for today...

1 Canadian Dollar = 0.70507 US Dollar
1 US Dollar (USD) = 1.41830 Canadian Dollar (CAD)

Median price = 0.70477 / 0.70507 (bid/ask)
Minimum price = 0.70467 / 0.70507
Maximum price = 0.70477 / 0.70517

1 US Dollar = 0.89031 Euro
1 Euro (EUR) = 1.12320 US Dollar (USD)

Median price = 0.88992 / 0.89031 (bid/ask)
Minimum price = 0.88976 / 0.89015
Maximum price = 0.89095 / 0.89135

1 British Pound = 1.60420 US Dollar
1 US Dollar (USD) = 0.62336 British Pound (GBP)

Median price = 1.60370 / 1.60420 (bid/ask)
Minimum price = 1.60320 / 1.60370
Maximum price = 1.60400 / 1.60470

[elbucko]

France owns those two islands just east of Canada's coast.

The influence of France and the existence of the Quebecois, are two very large elephants in Canada's living room that Canadians have chosen to ignore, as long as they get their "meds".

[MD_Willington_1976]

Canada is by far the United States' largest trading partner, with more than 1.4 billion in trade a day. By comparison, in 1999 this was more than U.S. trade with all the countries of Latin America combined. U.S. exports to Canada exceed those to all members of the European Union combined.

Just the two-way trade that crosses the Ambassador Bridge between Michigan and Ontario equals all U.S. exports to Japan. Canada's importance to the United States is not just a border-state phenomenon: Canada is the leading export market for 35 of 50 U.S. States.

The largest component of U.S.-Canadian trade is in the automotive sector. Under the 1965 U.S.-Canada Automotive Agreement (Auto Pact), which provided for free trade in cars, trucks, and auto parts, two-way trade in automotive products rose from $715 million in 1964 to $104.1 billion in 1999.

The U.S. is Canada's leading agricultural market, taking nearly one-third of all food exports. Conversely, Canada is the second-largest U.S. agricultural market (after Japan), primarily importing fresh fruits and vegetables and livestock products. Nearly two-thirds of Canada's forest products, including pulp and paper, are exported to the United States; almost 75% of Canada's total newsprint production also is exported to the U.S.

Canada is a major producer of hydroelectricity, oil, and gas; unlike most of its industrial partners, it is a net exporter of energy (primarily gas and electricity). Canada's exports and imports of oil are currently in approximate balance. Crude petroleum is the largest single component of Canada's minerals output. Canadian oil reserves are about 6.8 billion barrels. Canada annually produces more than 500 million barrels of oil and about 3.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The United States imports over 2 trillion cubic feet or 12% of its natural gas requirements from Canada. Canada is the largest energy supplier for the U.S.

At $21 billion in 2000, U.S.-Canada trade in energy is the largest U.S. energy trading relationship in the world. The primary components of U.S. energy trade with Canada are oil, natural gas, and electricity.

Canada is the United States' largest oil supplier and the fifth-largest energy producing country in the world. Canada provides about 16% of U.S. oil imports and 14% of total U.S. consumption of natural gas. The United States and Canada's national electricity grids are linked and both countries share hydropower facilities on the Western borders.

The U.S. is Canada's largest foreign investor; at the end of 1999, the stock of U.S. direct investment was estimated at $116.7 billion, or about 72% of total foreign direct investment in Canada. U.S. investment is primarily in Canada's mining and smelting industries, petroleum, chemicals, the manufacture of machinery and transportation equipment, and finance.

Canada is the third-largest foreign investor in the United States. At the end of 1999, the stock of Canadian direct investment in the United States was estimated at $90.4 billion. Canadian investment in the United States--which includes investment from Canadian holding companies in the Netherlands--is concentrated in manufacturing, wholesale trade, real estate, petroleum, finance, and insurance and other services.

Nominal GDP (2001): $700 billion.
GDP - composition by sector:
·agriculture: 3%
·industry: 31%
·services: 66% (1998)

Electricity - production by source:
·fossil fuel: 27.18%
·hydro: 59.77%
·nuclear: 12.25%
·other: 0.8% (1998)

Electricity - exports: 39.502 billion kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish

Exports: $277 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities: motor vehicles and parts, newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, aluminum, telecommunications equipment, electricity
Exports - partners: US 84%, Japan 3%, UK, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China (1998)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, crude oil, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods, electricity

Imports - partners: US 77%, Japan 3%, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea (1998)

[longtermmemmory]

they would just change EU to WU for world union. It would make another step in the euro becoming the paper of the world.

[xJones]

I read your "about" page, and you and your wife sound like excellent citizens-to-be. Congrats on your baby boy.

Thanks for the facts in #16. The thrust of it is that Canada and the U.S. are so intertwined that a break-up would be nearly impossible, and disasterous to even attempt.

[George W. Bush]

Simply put, if we get too far from the Americans, we get punished.

We've only given a small slap to the wheat board and the timber industry. It's going to accelerate heavily. Canuckistan is going to understand American economic power and the downside of NAFTA very soon. The consequences will be quite dire for Canada if a very abrupt course change is not instituted after the upcoming election.

Our ambassador's meddling in Canadian politics and Bush's cancellation of his trip to Canada (so he could visit Arkansas!) was just a warning shot across the bow. We're going to get very serious about Canada.

[IvanT]

The U.S. could do a lot to subtley 'push' Canada more towards conservatism. It wouldn't take much. Especially given the current grass roots movements both in the west and many parts of Ontario. I would welcome it, personally, but I don't think anything too drastic would be required, the U.S. already has considerable 'oompf' in it's influence on Canada.